he Tales of Andergrimm interweaves the Grimm tales of Rumpelstiltskin
and Hansel and Gretel with the Hans Christian Andersen
fairy tale of the Ugly Duckling. All three stories unfold
with some
slight alterations. In this version of Rumpelstiltskin,
the girl in the tower is pursued romantically by the elf himself,
who
hopes to gain her love in return for spinning the gold. The king insists
she must spin straw to gold to prove that her mother was not lying,
when in fact he is simply a greedy ruler in pursuit of more power
and riches.
As in the original tale, Hansel and Gretel are two children who love
their father. In this musical, he is unaware of just how selfish his wife
is. When she secretly loses their children in the woods, he is distraught
and searches tirelessly for them. Hansel and Gretel must rise above their
disagreements in order to survive their time in the forest and their encounter
with the witch of the candy cottage.
The Ugly Duckling in this show, deals less with the various
circumstances the ugly swan chick finds herself in and more with her relationship
with
her duckling ‘siblings.’ In this modified story, the Ugly
Duckling finds a new family in which to be included and then extends that
spirit of inclusiveness to one of her former tormentors.
The three tales interconnect in ways that delight audiences, and strengthen
the overall theme of making the right choices to become a better person
(expressed in the prologue and finale musical number ‘Choose to
be Good.’). Each of the ten character traits, or a lack of it, is
represented in the musical number(s) listed below, as well as in the actions
of characters in at least one of the three tales:
 Caring: ‘Just
Don’t Care’ - The Ugly Duckling
Cooperation: ‘Cooperation’ - Hansel
and Gretel
Courage: ‘Gotta
Be Brave’ – Rumpelstiltskin
Empathy: ‘Feel
for ya, Baby’ and ‘Don’t Feel for
ya, Baby’ – Rumpelstiltskin and Hansel
and Gretel
Honesty: ‘He
Lied to Me’ – Rumpelstiltskin
Inclusiveness: ‘Alone’ and ‘Alone
reprise’ - The
Ugly Duckling
Integrity: ‘What’s
in it for Me?’ – Rumpelstilskin
Optimism: ‘Maybe’ and ‘Maybe
reprise’ - Hansel
and Gretel
Respect: ‘Respect’ - Hansel
and Gretel
Responsibility: ‘Responsibility’ and ‘Sleep
Tonight’-
Hansel and Gretel
Click here for more information on Character
Education.
Click here for more information on the music
in the show.
Click here for information
on the score and accompaniment CD.
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